Iron Maiden
by Needless Sorrow
Summary: Sister Kate and Astharoshe hunt down a killer who seems to be imitating Endre Kourza...


-1**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters used in this fan fiction. They are owned by their respectful owners (duh). The fact that I enjoy watching and reading _Trinity Blood _does not mean that I am Christian, nor does it mean that I believe in God. I simply believe it to be a good series of light novels, graphic novels, and anime. (That last part was mainly for anyone that I know from school who's reading this.)

**Information: **This fan fiction takes place after the events of the Trinity Blood ANIME. However, the spelling of every character's name is based on that of the Trinity Blood novels. Also note that Astharoshe's weapon is referred to as the "Spear of Gae Bolg" instead of the "Sword of Gae Bolg", since, in the anime, she wielded a spear and not a sword.

Iron Maiden - Chapter 1: Kourza Reborn?

Sister Kate Scott hovered in the middle of the Iron Maiden II, her holographic form waving and flickering. She stared at the screens in front of her. Dozens of AX Agents were on missions. As usual, it was Kate's duty to oversee them. "Sister Kate?" a voice asked, echoing throughout the ship. Kate's holographic form vanished from the ship and reappeared in front of Cardinal Caterina Sforza's desk. The large window behind the desk showed the night sky. The two moons shone brightly against it like splatters of paint on a black canvas. Another woman was there as well. She was tall with a red streak down the middle of her long, blonde hair.

"Yes, Cardinal Caterina?" Kate asked, staring at the tall woman curiously. She had… never seen the woman before. Was she a new recruit? A diplomat from a foreign land?

"Sister Kate, this is Astharoshe Asran, Duchess of Odessa.," Caterina said, referring to the other woman. "She is a representative of the New Human Empire." Kate's eyes widened. "Oh, so you're a vampire then?"

The look on Astharoshe's face hardened. "Methuselah," she muttered. "Pardon?" Kate asked. "Methuselah. The proper term for my kind is '_Methuselah_', _not 'vampire'_," Astharoshe said sternly. She seemed to be struggling not to yell at Kate for her mistake.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Duchess," Kate said. She turned her gaze over to Caterina. "Now what is it that you called me here for, Cardinal Caterina? I'm sure it wasn't just to introduce me to Astharoshe."

Caterina adjusted her monicle. "Yes, you're right about that…" She cleared her throat. "Sister Kate, I need you to help Astharoshe investigate a series of murders that seem to have been caused by a vam - I'm sorry - a Methuselah."

Kate raised an eyebrow. It was odd for the Cardinal to send her on a mission; Caterina knew that the lost technology used to sustain and project her holographic form couldn't work very far from the Vatican. "How will that be possible? My technology-" "Is being upgraded," Caterina interjected. "Professor Wordsworth is working on it as we speak. With the upgrades, you will be able to appear in areas much farther than anywhere you've been able to appear before. You will also be able to discharge energy blasts from your hands, in case any of your allies ever need you in battle." Kate nodded.

Caterina thumbed through some papers on her desk. "These are images of the corpses." She held the photos up to show Kate. Each photo contained an image of a child's brutally maimed corpse.

"Oh my, Lord!" Kate exclaimed. "Those look like the work of…" "Endre Kourza," Astharoshe said, finishing the sentence for Kate. "But… it can't be so…" Kate said as transparent screens appeared in front of her. The screens were connected to the AX Data Network, and Kate could call them whenever she pleased to. She often used them to find out information to aid agents on their cases, and she updated information regularly; at least once a day. "According to all of my data… Endre Kourza is dead; he was killed on his way to the Empire. This cannot be him."

"Yes," Caterina said, "but the person responsible is obviously copying his methods." Caterina returned the photos to the pile on her desk. "The first murder occurred in Cosima, Albion. The second occurred in Elettra, Albion. The third in Felicita, Albion… Do you see the pattern, Sister Kate?"

Kate nodded her head. "Yes, Cardinal Caterina." The murders were moving from town to town, west along the coast of Albion. "Does this mean that we'll be heading to Allegria, Cardinal Caterina?" Caterina nodded. "Yes. You will also be receiving 20,000 denars for funding. Do not be frugal; this money is _not _for souvenirs." "You don't have to remind me that," Kate said a little angrily. "I am _not _Abel Nightroad." Astharoshe's eyes brightened at the sound of Abel's name. What connection did she have with Father Nightroad?

Caterina chuckled. "Yes, I know, Sister Kate." There was a pause for a few moments. "Would you please show Astharoshe to the Iron Maiden II?" "Yes, Cardinal Caterina," Kate said. "Follow me."

Astharoshe walked down the hallway. Sister Kate's holographic form floated a few feet ahead of her. The nun fascinated her; she'd just… never seen anything like her before. Kate turned her head. "So, Astharoshe, what relationship do you share with Father Nightroad?" Her voice echoed down the hallway, slightly full of static.

Astharoshe jumped a little when asked the question. "He is my… tovarich… My partner." Astharoshe wanted him to be much more than that, though. If only he wasn't so in love with that Esther girl. Then - No. She wasn't to think of such things. Astharoshe's relationship with Father Nightroad was strictly business, and it could never become anything more. They were too different; it would never work anyway.

"Oh, I see," Kate said. They turned a left into a new corridor. "It isn't much farther," Kate assured Astharoshe. They reached the end of the corridor. It was a dead end. "Are you sure that we went… the right way, Sister?" Astharoshe asked.

"Yes," Kate said. "I'm sure." A small scanner popped out of the wall. "Identification, please," a robotic voice said. "Sister Kate Scott, AX Agent 24513.698A." "Password, please," the same robotic voice said. "Crusnik." "Access granted," the robotic voice said. The wall standing in front of Astharoshe and Kate vanished. _Remarkable_, Astharoshe thought in amazement.

"Just wait until you see the ship," Kate told Astharoshe with a slight smile on her transparent face. The two of them entered the room beyond the wall. "Astharoshe Asran, say hello to the Iron Maiden II," Kate said.

Astharoshe gawked in amazement at the Iron Maiden II. It was gigantic. It was terrifying. It was… magnificent. It was completely unlike any of the ships that Astharoshe had seen in the Empire. "It's one of a kind," said Kate. "Not even the Iron Maiden I looked or worked quite like this ship." Kate looked over at it. "Now, Astharoshe, shall we board?"

Kate floated in the middle of the Iron Maiden II, piloting it towards its destination. She and Astharoshe had been in flight for two hours now. Astharoshe wasn't exactly the most talkative Methuselah in the world, so it had been eerily quiet the entire time.

"You know," Kate said, starting to make small talk, "this ship has never really been used for transport before… It's usually just used for major battles." Astharoshe said nothing, and Kate sighed. "Would it kill you to crack a smile?"

"What is there to smile about?" Astharoshe asked. "We are on a mission, Sister Kate. We're supposed to take down a killer; we aren't supposed to be sitting down, making small talk."

"Tell me, Astharoshe… What makes this so personal for you?" Kate asked with curiosity. "That is… none of your business…" Astharoshe said. "But-" Kate started to say. "No buts!" Astharoshe yelled. "It is none of your business, Sister Kate! That is simply the way that it is!"

Kate turned away from Astharoshe. "Very well, then," Kate said. Endre Kourza must have done something that deeply affected Astharoshe; that was the only reason to justify the way that she was acting. "We should be arriving in Allegria shortly," she announced. "Alright," mumbled Astharoshe.

A screen appeared with a man's face on it. "You are entering Albion airspace. What is your identification? Tell us, or we _will _shoot you down." _Oh, I doubt you'd be able to do __**that**_, Kate thought to herself. "Yes, of course," Kate said to the man. "This is Vatican Airship 87.432Q, the Iron Maiden II." There was a pause for several seconds. "You are free to enter Albion," the man on screen said. The screen vanished.

"Prepare to land, Astharoshe!" Kate yelled. The Iron Maiden II began to rapidly descend. Astharoshe held onto her seat tightly. The ship, surprisingly, landed softly, without a scratch, on a flat, empty roof. "I'm surprised we didn't explode," Astharoshe said. Kate chuckled. "Welcome to Albion." Astharoshe stood up and took her spear in both of her hands. "I guess we'd better start searching for that murderer."

Astharoshe started to walk out of the ship. She turned around at the door when she realized that Kate wasn't following her. "Aren't you coming?" Kate shook her head. "No, I'll stay here. It will be better if I just watch over the mission for now. I'll watch the city through its security cameras and be your eyes." Astharoshe nodded. "Suit yourself."

Astharoshe walked out of the Iron Maiden II. She ran towards the edge of the rooftop and jumped off. She flew in the air. Literally. Astharoshe flew a few buildings away from Kate and the Iron Maiden II, keeping her eye on the ground below. She hadn't seen anything yet; nothing but Allegria's magnificent buildings. Of course, the buildings weren't anything near as beautiful as the buildings in the Empire, but they were still beautiful… for a Terran city.

She flew farther away from where they'd landed. Then, someone screamed. Astharoshe turned her head in its direction. She dived down and started to fly as fast as she possibly could towards the sound of the scream. Astharoshe pushed on the comm link in her hear that Caterina had given her. "Sister Kate," she said, "I think I may have found the murderer."

"Don't come to conclusions just yet, Astharoshe," Kate's staticky voice said over the comm link. Astharoshe rolled her eyes and heard the scream again, though it sounded a bit more like a… moan this time. She was getting closer. Astharoshe took the Spear of Gae Bolg in both of her hands as she landed in front of an open doorway. The house inside was dark, but she managed to spot two figures. Astharoshe walked a little bit farther into the house. One appeared to be male, and one appeared to be female. They appeared to be on top of each other. "Stop right there!" she yelled.

Astharoshe realized what they were doing, and her faced flushed of what little color was actually in it. "Oh. Sorry. Terribly sorry." Astharoshe said, quickly flying away. Kate laughed over the comm link. "I told you not to jump to conclusions," she said. "Shut up, Sister Kate," Astharoshe muttered. Kate laughed again.

She stopped and said, "Astharoshe, I've spotted something on one of my screens. Turn right." Astharoshe did as Kate told her. "Okay. Now where?" she asked. "Fly down the street for a few more meters," Kate said. "Then, turn a right into the alley." Someone shrieked. Astharoshe followed Kate's directions once more. She took the Spear of Gae Bolg in her hands and yelled, "Stop right there!" She landed in the alley, and the spear began to charge.

Astharoshe heard the shriek again. "I said stop! I am Astharoshe Asran, Duchess of Odessa. I am here on orders from the Vatican, and I command you to lay down your weapon and give yourself up!" The shrieking continued. "Are you deaf?!" Astharoshe screamed. She paused for a few seconds. "Fine," she muttered. Astharoshe ran down the alley. What she saw at the other end of the alley was enough to stop her directly in her tracks: a child was standing over a grown woman's corpse. Protruding from his tiny wrist was a bloodstained blade.

--to be continued--


End file.
